The Grasshopper is a common insect of the Summer and Fall, but did you know there are over 600 species of short-horned grasshoppers (Acrididae) alone in North America? Most are cryptic, but others are colorful. Few are pests. Here are the four common groups of acridid grasshoppers you are likely to see.
Band-winged Grasshoppers
These ground-dwelling grasshoppers match the color and texture of the soil so well that they are nearly invisible….until they fly. Most have colorful hindwings they use to fly. The hindwings might be yellow, red, orange, black, or even blue, depending on the species. They can make snapping or crackling noises in flight, so you might hear them before you see them. They are most diverse in deserts, prairies, and other arid habitats.
Slant-faced Grasshoppers
These grasshoppers not only climb on grasses, they look like grasses. They often have a “pointy” profile, and flattened antennae that enhance their camouflage. They jump more than fly, and dodge behind a grassblade when they see you coming.
Bird Grasshoppers
Some of these very large grasshoppers can migrate in large numbers. Grasshoppers in a migratory phase are called “locusts.” Bird grasshoppers fly well, jump well, and are often seen in shrubs or trees, though they visit the ground, too.
Spur-throated Grasshoppers
Named for a knob-like process on their “throats,” spur-throated grasshoppers are very diverse (high number of different species). They are often abundant in fields, vacant lots, prairies, and meadows. They are mostly medium-sized grasshoppers.
Diet and Lifestyle
Many grasshoppers are general feeders on grasses or broad-leaved plants, but some have specific tastes. Populations vary from year to year so they can be pests one year, and have negligible impact the next. They may eat dead insects as well as live plants.
Grasshoppers emerge from egg pods that their mother laid in the soil. They grow by molting several times, shedding their outgrown exoskeleton and expanding before the new exoskeleton hardens.
See how many kinds of grasshoppers you can find on your own property. You will be amazed.